Respect
by njayne58
Summary: Kate and McGee have something to learn about their fellow agent


Set sometime during the second season. Thanks to the wonderful folks who developed the program which I of am only borrowing. RESPECT

Kate and McGee were hunched over his computer monitor. Tony looked over at them from his desk. "What are you two up to?" he asked.

Kate looked at him and said," Grown up stuff, Tony. You wouldn't understand"

McGee smirked. "Yeah, it's complicated computer stuff."They returned their eyes to the computer screen. Neither saw the stiffened face of their fellow agent as he opened a file and stared blankly at it.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs called from his desk. "Take this down to Abby for me."

"Yes," said Kate, "you can handle that."

A few seconds after Tony had exited the bullpen and taken the elevator downstairs, Gibbs called the lab. "Abby,keep Tony down there for at least a half an hour. I have some issues to address up here."

He put down the phone and yelled, "McGee, Todd, get over !"

The two agents stood in front of his desk, wondering what was making him so angry.

"You two ever show that kind of disrespect to Tony again and you'll be out of here so fast you won't hear the door shut"

Kate looked startled. "Well, he..."

Gibbs interrupted, "He has been my senior field agent for before you either came on board. And if I'm lucky, he'll see me to retirement."

The two looked confused. McGee said, "But, he...."

"He's worth both of you together and then some. Kate, you think you're such a hot shot profiler. What do you know about Tony?"

Kate felt her expertise was being challenged. "I know he graduated from Ohio State in PE. He was with three police departments in six years which shows commitment issues. He is an only child. He shows signs of a narcissist personality."

Gibbs glared, "McGee, you got more? No? He knows the names of all your brothers, Kate. McGee, he knows everything about you. You only know what he wants you to know about him"

"Well, he dates a lot. Doesn't seem to stay with one girl too long. " McGee stuttered to a stop seeing the angry face of his boss.

"Tony showed you my medals, didn't he? He keeps them for me. Well, I keep his"

Kate was startled again. "Tony has medals?"

In answer, Gibbs opened a lower drawer in his desk and brought out a handmade wooden box, about ten by twelve inches with "DiNozzo" carved on the top. He opened the box and took everything out. There were a half dozen small velvet cases and a number of certificates. "I took these from his place when he was wounded last year. He was keeping all this in an old pillow case stuffed in a closet."

Gibbs held out three of the papers—"Academic All American--every year he played varsity"

McGee looked down at his feet. Gibbs pulled out a paper. "Here's his college transcript. What do you see, McGee? "

McGee read out loud, "Double major, physical education and criminology. Magna cum laude? "

"What?"gasped Kate as Gibbs showed her the next paper. "Master of Arts from Indiana State in Criminology." it read.

"He earned that while he was in Peoria. Worked full time and took classes. And here's his Police Academy certificate—first in his class."

Gibbs opened the first of the velvet boxes. In it was a medal with the words, "For courage beyond the call of duty" Gibbs said, "He got that one for pulling two people out of burning car in Peoria. He went back for the third and got him out just as the car exploded. Tony put his body between the victim and the explosion. He got second degree burns on his legs but the child was unharmed."

He opened a second box. "This is from Philllie. He spent six months undercover to bring down the Marcucci family. After he brought them down, he wasn't safe in Phillie, so they transferred him to Baltimore"

He opened a third box," And this one is for talking a bank robber into taking him as hostage and letting the rest of the people in the bank go. These others—for the same kind of thing—he put his life at risk to save others."

"Kate, you're such a great profiler. What is this telling you?"

She hesitated."Tony doesn't want people to know all this. Why? "Gibbs smiled; "He will tell you he was just doing his job."

Kate was dismayed, "But, he seems so shallow and…"

Gibbs interrupted again, "You see what he wants you to see. There's no one I would rather have on my six than DiNozzo. How many times has he stood between you and a gunman? If he had wanted, he could have been just another lazy playboy. He could have followed his father's wishes and been a lawyer. Instead, he chooses to put his life on the line for you and me.

He may not have the computer skills you have, McGee, but who would you want as backup in a tough situation?"

McGee looked down at his feet. He knew he had been guilty of following Kate's lead, but he couldn't blame her for his own assumptions. He remembered the times Tony had come up with the solution to a case—using his movie references. He had figured out how the doctor had set the oxygen on fire using a book of matches. It was Tony who made intuitive leaps that solved cases.

McGee said, "I guess we just took him at face value—he never demands more."

Kate nodded, "I should know better. He wouldn't be on your team if you didn't' think he belonged. **But he makes it so easy."**

**The elevator pinged, and Tony came back into the bullpen. "Abby said the evidence you asked for isn't quite ready." He noticed his teammates standing at Gibbs' desk. "Convention?"**

**Gibbs had put the box back in his desk as soon as he had heard the elevator. "No, just a discussion about observation and drawing conclusions based on incomplete evidence."**

**Tim and Kate went back to the computer. Kate asked, "Tony, maybe you can help us figure this out."**


End file.
